Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-19
THE HOP DUES TON,
The Outlook for the Seasons Yieid-Tht
Root injury.

The OUTLOOK Tor the Seasons Yieid-Che
Root injury.
The Emmet Wells Hop Report for May
9th gives the following information con-
corning the outlook for the hop yield the
present year, and also the general condition
Of vines:
Prices have somewhat receded, so that
now We can call 20 cents about the top
figure for anything on offer. 1t is believed,
however, that if many more German hops
are required by our brewers to carry them
through the season they will have to pay
more money for fresh importations, as
supplies in Germany are running very
short, ana prices in that country are ad-
vancing.
Rather a strange feature of the market is
the extreme dullness in American YEAR
lings, fine lots of which are offered as low
as 10 cents without meeting purchasers.
1886 States" are in small supply and very
irregular in quality; in fact the bulk of
this stock is so poor and undesirable that
brewers do not care to look at samples.
We saw very fine line of Paciiics sold
last week down to 16 cents, about as fine as
anything on the market 1t really looked
like forced sale, for We know that choice
Washington Territory are held at 20 cents
German importations have almost ceased;
the arrivals for the last two weeks are less
than 400 bales. The root scare don't seem
to have produced any effect upon this
market so far from which it is very evil
dent brewers do not fear lack of supplies.
But our Pacific coast friends are verv ju-
bilant over the present rather discouraging
outlook for this State, and for the present
are declining all further offers of contract.
They believe another failure, or even
partial failure, of the crop here means
higher prices for them and while we think
the ground may be well taken, we would
advise them not to lose sight of the fact
that Germany has beeen, and will continue
TO be, very strong competitor of the Pa
cific coast. The Government tax of 8 cents
per pound on foreign hops does not seem to
be very formidable barrier against these
hops coming here; besides, the ocean freight
is considerable less than charged by the
Pacific railroads.
The root question has been the all
absorbing topic in the trade here since the
first hop hill was uncovered in April.
The general belief that the severe ordeal
through which the vines passed last season,
and the sapping they received by the
ravageS OF the insect, would so weaken the
roots as to cause them to die resulting in a
wholesale destruction of yards in this State
this spring; but facts thus far disclosed
show that while thousands of acres in old
yards have been plowed under, new yards
have stood the winter very well, and will
produce some hops. The decrease in the
acreage will not fall much short of 331 per
cent. Some are of the opinion that MANY
weak yards will not survive the month of
June, and that then we will see a consider
able more blowing out, but this view may be
rather premature and speculative. The
vine on the Pacific Coast is already nearly
half way up the poles, and give promises
of 10000 to $4,000 bales of hops. The
acreage in Washington Territory will be
increased this season one-third